I’m so excited that summer is on the way! I know all of us are ready for sandals, and sun but besides going to all the fun day parties and brunches use this time to take yourself to the next level. Entering the age of adulthood summer means more than just pool parties and sleeping in late. Whether you’re a recent grad, currently in school or a working young adult the warmer weather is a perfect time to grow try new things and take some risks. Often times we get so caught up in chasing degrees, jobs and our next thing that we forget to take time out to nurture ourselves.

4 tips to help you seek revenge this summer and invest in yourself:

1. Networking! Relationship building! I hate the word networking because it seems so cold and one sided. No one wants to be around someone who only comes around when they want something. Make some genuine connections this summer. Check out sites like Meetup.com or Eventbrite.com to find cool new things to do in your area. Make new friends outside of your normal circles. Join a new group, learn a new skill you’ll be surprised at how this can help you grow professionally and personally

2. Travel! Road trips, summer festivals, and international affairs are all welcomed this summer. Visit friends who live far away or family you haven’t seen in a while. Take a solo trip or gather your closest friends for a cruise. You could even explore new places in your hometown or wherever you might be residing this summer. Discover something new and have different experiences this summer.

3. Eat fresh and local. This is my favorite part about the summer. All the fresh fruits and veggies. Visit your local farmers market or plan a trip to the pick your own farm. Investing in ourselves means taking care of our bodies. Because you can’t eat friend chicken and pizza your whole life lol

4. We are nearing the halfway mark for 2016. What have you accomplished so far? Are you on track for reaching your goals this year? If not don’t be too hard on yourself. Just adjust accordingly and make your next 6 months your best 6 months. Keep a journal or create a vision board if you haven’t already. You should always be working towards something to keep yourself moving in the right direction.

What do you have planned for this summer?! I would love to hear about it

If you didn’t know, I’m a documentary junkie! I love to learn new things and sometimes you don’t always have time to read a book. Maybe you need something to watch while you prep your twist out for the week or while your drinking your favorite glass of wine. Either way here are some great programs on Netflix that you can watch you gain perspective on different topics.

A fun thing I like to do is have a discussion with people after you’ve watched them to gain more perspective. Whether you’re with bae, chillin with your friends, or just vibin solo its always fun to change it up and watch something both entertaining and education. Exercise your mind!

Here are 5 documentaries that I love

1.The Mask You Live In

This film examines the struggle that many boys and young men face trying to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity. I loved this documentary because it gives a perspective that a lot of men don’t feel comfortable discussing for the very reasons that are outlined in this documentary. After this film I gained more perspective about what it means to be a male in the US and how that impacts many men and boys I interact with.

2. Sugar Coated

If you love cookies, cakes, pies, salad dressing, seasoning, or if you eat food in America you should watch this documentary. It addresses our unhealthy addiction to sugar and how we as a nation ended up here with the help of corrupt corporations.

3. MissRepresented

I loved this documentary because it addressed how women and girls continue to be overly sexualized in the media and how it has gotten increasingly worse for our generation. Girls younger and younger are starting to feel the pressures to have the perfect body and fit society’s definition of beauty.

4. Happy

This is one of my favorite documentaries because it attempts to answer the question what makes us happy. We’ve all heard the phrase money doesn’t buy you happiness. This documentary actually states that up to a certain point money can “buy you happiness” but it plateaus very quickly as long as your basic human needs are met.

5. Hot Girls Wanted

This documentary opened my mind to a whole other perspective I never considered. It addresses how young girls are exploited in the porn industry, how they are recruited and how they are treated. These aren’t random girls, these are girls who are in college, went to high school with you and literally the girl next door.

Have you seen any of these? What did you think?! Leave a comment and let me know